Mend my broken heart?
by MioneW
Summary: After tragedy strikes at the Weasley household Ron believes all is lost. But will old friends be able to help him move on? And is there any chance that someone will be able to mend his broken heart?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

**Tragedy strikes**

He knew that something wasn't right the moment he apparated into the dark alleyway at the end of the street. There was an eerie quietness surrounding Godrics Hollow, a silence that was joined with an unusually dark neighbourhood.

It was coming up for Christmas and at this time of the evening the street was normally buzzing with the sounds of joy and laughter as witches and wizards took their children Christmas carolling or shopping.

Parents would normally stop in the middle of the street and talk about their latest plans for the holidays while the children chased one another around the statue in the middle of the square.

Tonight, however, the street was deserted. Even the small pub on the corner seemed lonely.

He was supposed to be going carolling tonight with his wife. It was their first Christmas as husband and wife and as she was heavily pregnant they had decided to do it now before snow arrived.

She had sent an owl to him twenty minutes ago asking when he would be home and he had sent an instant reply that he had only had to cash up the takings and close the door and would be back in five minutes.

With a smile that warmed his insides more than his thick dragon skin coat could he imagined her sitting by the fire, staring at the tree they had decorated the previous day.

As he turned the corner that led to the park across from his small two floor house he realised again how quiet it was. Maybe people had decided to stay in tonight; it was after all bitterly cold outside.

No, that wasn't it. The weather had never stopped them before. No, this was different. He had noticed the majority of the houses had their lights turned off yet he had seen curtains twitching in the moonlight as if the habitants were watching something or waiting for something to happen.

"That's it!" he realised with a start. It was the calm before the storm. Something big was going to happen and suddenly he had felt a panicked fear he had not known for years.

Quickly spinning around to take in the empty street he turned and made a run for the park. The only thing on his mind being that he had to get to the house, to his wife and unborn child. It didn't matter what else happened after that as long as he could get to them.

He was halfway through the park, pushing through the overgrown bushes when it happened.

An ear splitting scream, a horrendous bang then a thunderous crack that echoed throughout the darkness.

He was frozen to the spot, his heart hammering so hard in his chest that it could burst through his ribcage. His breath coming out in short sharp bursts.

It wasn't real, it couldn't be. This was not happening. Not again. Not after all these years of peace.

The green skull hanging high above Ron Weasley's house suggested otherwise.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a moment when Ron first awoke that he was convinced he had had a really bad dream. That death eaters hadn't returned and made him and his family their first targets and succeeded in killing his wife and child.

But that was it. Just a moment, a split second of blissful relief before realisation set in and his world crashed down around him.

Everything from the night before came back to him in an excruciating flash. Going home late, feeling the eeriness surround him, the scream and then the luminescent green symbol towering above him.

A lot of what happened passed by in a blur. The Aurors turning up, led by Harry, and taking care of the scene inside.

Harry had come back out to Ron and apparated him away just as they brought the body out.

As he lay there in the darkness fighting back the vomit at the thought about the Aurors taking away a body that once belonged to the woman he loved he heard the unmistakeable rushing sound of the fire in the living room as someone flooed in followed by soft voices.

"Hey. Thanks for coming," he heard Harry mumble, recognising the sorrow in his best friends dull tone.

"Of course. I just can't believe this happened," the second voice replied sniffily. She had been crying. Of course she had, she had been the maid of honour at their wedding.

"How is he?"

"Still in shock. I couldn't make any sense of anything he was saying. The Medi-wizards at St Mungos said he kept saying it was all his fault."

"He can't blame himself," the softer voice said, "He wasn't there."

"Which is why he blames himself," Harry explained.

Ron couldn't listen to anymore. Not when they were talking about him as if he wasn't there.

Forcing himself into a sitting position he swung his legs to the side of the bed, wincing as his bare feet made contact with the ice cold floor. He wasn't even aware that he had pushed up off the bed and walked across the room until his hand was wrapped around the door knob.

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the sympathy that he knew would come he quietly opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Harry was sat on the couch with Ginny's sleeping head in his lap, but it wasn't his sister and brother-in-law that held his attention, it was the woman that stood by the fireplace, tear tracks streaming down her face.

Behind the consoling look in her eyes, however, was a comforting smile, the first smile he had received all night and he was grateful to her for that alone.

"Hey Mione," he croaked.

"Ron, I am so sorry," she whispered sincerely then before he knew it her arms were wrapped around his neck, her body shaking against his through the sheer energy it took not to break down.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

It was also the first time he had said it and meant it that evening.

"Um, I'm gonna get something to eat. Is that ok Harry?" he asked as he pulled away from the hug.

"Yeah of course. D'ya want me to go?" he asked already lifting Ginny's head up.

"Nah it's ok," Ron replied shaking his head, then mustering a small smile he nodded once to say that he was ok then wandered off in the direction of the kitchen with no intention whatsoever of making anything to eat and every intention of pouring the largest glass of Ogden's Fire whiskey he could.

He knew that Ginny didn't have any dreamless sleeping draught so his only hope of getting any real sleep was to fall into a drunken stupor. At least it would dull the pain he was beginning to feel as reality began to set in.

He couldn't feel this. He shouldn't feel this, not at 24 years of age when he still had his whole life ahead of him, and she had hers.

"One glass won't be enough," he thought as he opted to drink straight from the bottle.

No sooner had he raised the bottle to his lips however did the door open and Hermione stood in the frame.

He saw her wince slightly as he ignored her arrival and swallowed one long stream of burning liquid. He let out a low bitter laugh as her wince turned into a look of concern, one he mistook for disapproval.

"You're not going to lecture me on why I shouldn't be drinking this are you?" he asked.

Hermione didn't say anything at first; instead she walked straight past him to the sink then returned a second later with a mug in hand and sat down opposite him.

"I was actually going to ask if I could join you."

Ron stared at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You want to sit here and drink fire whiskey with me?"

"Always the tome of surprise," she smirked teasingly.

He couldn't help but return the smile, even if it did only last a moment before his eyes dropped back down to the table.

"I don't want to talk about it Hermione, I'm not ready," he told her sadly.

"I know," she nodded as she reached for the bottle and began pouring herself a drink, "But I'm here when you do."


End file.
